C-USA fresh start for Tech

[Harry]

IRVING, TEXAS — Louisiana Tech defensive end IK Enemkpali enjoyed conducting mock interviews with opposing players at Conference USA media day.

If new Tech coach Skip Holtz wants to see his Bulldogs on the same film as 2013 opponents, he will need to confiscate the interview footage.

With the move to Conference USA, Tech will play 10 new opponents that weren’t on the 2012 schedule, which leaves the coaching staff without much study material over the summer.

“It creates a lot of unknowns because we can’t go back to last year and say, ‘Oh they have that one running back or one defensive end,’” Holtz said during media day.

“Our players won’t be familiar with our opponents, so it’s like starting all over again.

“We try to (study) our first few opponents (over the summer), and that starts with North Carolina State, which has a new coaching staff.”

Tech’s two familiar opponents are Rice (’Dogs won 56-37) and UTSA (51-27 win).

But the Bulldogs might not even recognize the Owls, who won their last five games (including a bowl) and expected to be near the top of Conference USA.

Opponents won’t know much about the Bulldogs either with 31 missing seniors and a new coaching staff.

“We don’t know how we’re going to measure up,” Holtz said. “... We’ve talked with players and seniors about it, and we don’t know how we’re going to stand up and how it relates from a win-loss standpoint.

“We don’t know how good we’re going to be, but let’s just make sure that we’re as good as we can be.”

Read more: http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130729/SPORTS/307290020/C-USA-fresh-start-Tech